smile because that was a
term he and I had invented when we were much
younger. He looked away.
"I just don't want anyone taking advantage of
you, Laura. You're very trusting and innocent." "Oh, and you're a man of the world, Cary
Logan? Since when?"
"I know what boys are looking for these days,"
he said sharply.
"Robert's not like that."
"How do you know?"
"I think I would know better than you would,
Cary, unless you were eavesdropping on every one of
our conversations and spying on every one of our
dates," I said. "Are you?"
"No," he said.
"So? Then tell me why you won't at least give
Robert a chance. You'll be surprised at how much you
two have in common, Cary. You both work for your
parents. You may not respect what his parents do as
much as you respect what Daddy does, but Robert is
devoted to his father's business, just as you're devoted
to Daddy's. Nothing's been handed to him on a silver platter, just as nothing's been handed to you. You both work hard for everything you have. You're both stronger and better people than the other boys in our
school," I said.
I saw from the twinkle in his eyes that he liked
that very much.
"Robert wants to be an architect someday. He's
very interested in the work you do with boats, too.
Few of your other so-called friends even care. None
of them ever come to see your workshop."
"I don't ask them to," he said.
"But why don't you? Because you don't think
they're sincere in their interest, that's why. Well,
Robert is," I said. He smirked.
"You've bought this guy, hook, line, and sinker,
it seems."
"Cary, can't you have enough faith in me to
trust my judgment this one time? You used to respect
the things I said and believed," I wailed.
Tears flooded my eyes. When he looked at my
face his face softened.
"I'm not saying I don't believe in you, Laura." He looked at the ocean pensively and then
turned back to me.
"Okay, I'll give him a chance," he said. "If that's
what you want."
"I do."
"Fine. Now I've got to get down to the dock. I
promised I'd help Dad," he said.
"You've got to start studying for exams, Cary,"
I called as he started away.
He just waved back at me without turning and
continued to walk past the pink wild beach grass,
strands of his hair lifting in the wind. I stood there
watching him for a few moments and then made my
way back to the house, feeling I had won some sort of
victory, but not sure what it was.
However, the following Monday at school,
things were different. Cary was friendly to Robert, so
friendly, in fact, that even I was taken by surprise. "Laura tells me about all the work you and your
folks are doing on the Sea Marina. I'd like to check it
out one of these days," Cary offered, glancing at me
quickly after he had said it.
"Great," Robert said. "I could sure use some
advice about the dock. It has to be reinforced, only I'm
not sure how to go about it."
"Maybe Wednesday," Cary said, "after school."
He turned to me. "We'll pick up May and take her
along."
"She'd love that," I said, bursting with so much
happiness, I thought I might explode.
"We'll have to tell Ma," Cary said. "Let's not
mention it to Dad," he added in a lower voice. I
nodded.
Despite my father's need to have a market for
his lobsters and his cranberries, he parroted Grandma
Olivia's complaints about the tourist industry and the
damage it had done and would continue to do to the
Cape. I was grateful Cary hadn't brought it up in front
of Robert, but I was always on pins and needles when
talk turned to tourists and the effects they had on our
town. It was a subject Cary and Robert would have to
agree not to agree about.
That afternoon, Cary joined Robert and me in
the cafeteria for lunch. Robert asked him some
questions about boats and Cary talked right through
the warning bell. Every once in a while, Robert
glanced at me, his eyes wide with surprise. I simply
sat there, holding my breath, afraid that if I uttered a
word or moved a muscle; I might break the magic
spell.
But it didn't break. On the way
term he and I had invented when we were much
younger. He looked away.
"I just don't want anyone taking advantage of
you, Laura. You're very trusting and innocent." "Oh, and you're a man of the world, Cary
Logan? Since when?"
"I know what boys are looking for these days,"
he said sharply.
"Robert's not like that."
"How do you know?"
"I think I would know better than you would,
Cary, unless you were eavesdropping on every one of
our conversations and spying on every one of our
dates," I said. "Are you?"
"No," he said.
"So? Then tell me why you won't at least give
Robert a chance. You'll be surprised at how much you
two have in common, Cary. You both work for your
parents. You may not respect what his parents do as
much as you respect what Daddy does, but Robert is
devoted to his father's business, just as you're devoted
to Daddy's. Nothing's been handed to him on a silver platter, just as nothing's been handed to you. You both work hard for everything you have. You're both stronger and better people than the other boys in our
school," I said.
I saw from the twinkle in his eyes that he liked
that very much.
"Robert wants to be an architect someday. He's
very interested in the work you do with boats, too.
Few of your other so-called friends even care. None
of them ever come to see your workshop."
"I don't ask them to," he said.
"But why don't you? Because you don't think
they're sincere in their interest, that's why. Well,
Robert is," I said. He smirked.
"You've bought this guy, hook, line, and sinker,
it seems."
"Cary, can't you have enough faith in me to
trust my judgment this one time? You used to respect
the things I said and believed," I wailed.
Tears flooded my eyes. When he looked at my
face his face softened.
"I'm not saying I don't believe in you, Laura." He looked at the ocean pensively and then
turned back to me.
"Okay, I'll give him a chance," he said. "If that's
what you want."
"I do."
"Fine. Now I've got to get down to the dock. I
promised I'd help Dad," he said.
"You've got to start studying for exams, Cary,"
I called as he started away.
He just waved back at me without turning and
continued to walk past the pink wild beach grass,
strands of his hair lifting in the wind. I stood there
watching him for a few moments and then made my
way back to the house, feeling I had won some sort of
victory, but not sure what it was.
However, the following Monday at school,
things were different. Cary was friendly to Robert, so
friendly, in fact, that even I was taken by surprise. "Laura tells me about all the work you and your
folks are doing on the Sea Marina. I'd like to check it
out one of these days," Cary offered, glancing at me
quickly after he had said it.
"Great," Robert said. "I could sure use some
advice about the dock. It has to be reinforced, only I'm
not sure how to go about it."
"Maybe Wednesday," Cary said, "after school."
He turned to me. "We'll pick up May and take her
along."
"She'd love that," I said, bursting with so much
happiness, I thought I might explode.
"We'll have to tell Ma," Cary said. "Let's not
mention it to Dad," he added in a lower voice. I
nodded.
Despite my father's need to have a market for
his lobsters and his cranberries, he parroted Grandma
Olivia's complaints about the tourist industry and the
damage it had done and would continue to do to the
Cape. I was grateful Cary hadn't brought it up in front
of Robert, but I was always on pins and needles when
talk turned to tourists and the effects they had on our
town. It was a subject Cary and Robert would have to
agree not to agree about.
That afternoon, Cary joined Robert and me in
the cafeteria for lunch. Robert asked him some
questions about boats and Cary talked right through
the warning bell. Every once in a while, Robert
glanced at me, his eyes wide with surprise. I simply
sat there, holding my breath, afraid that if I uttered a
word or moved a muscle; I might break the magic
spell.
But it didn't break. On the way
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